President Jokowi Calls for End of Russian War as G20 Summit Begins

Bali, Indonesianpost.com – Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo called on Russia to end the military aggression in Ukraine as he opened the G20 Summit in Bali on Tuesday, saying the ongoing war is pushing the world into a new crisis after the devastating Covid-19 pandemic.

Without mentioning Russia by name, Jokowi said all countries and especially G20 countries hold responsibility not only for their own people but also for the global population.

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“Being responsible means respecting international laws and the principles of the United Nations Charter consistently. Being responsible means creating a win-win, not zero-sum situation,” he told G20 leaders in his opening remarks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t attend the summit and appointed Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to lead the Russian delegation.

“Being responsible here also means that we must end the war. If the war does not end, it will be difficult for the world to move forward,” Jokowi said.

“It will be difficult for us to take responsibility for the future of the current generation and future generations.”

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He also urged world leaders to stop divisions and avoid the recurrence of another Cold War.

“Today, all eyes in the world are on our meeting, whether we will be making success or failing. I believe we will end up successful,” the two-term president said.

“Indonesia has been doing the utmost to bridge deepening divisions but we will only make it if every country without exception shares the commitment to setting aside differences and working on something that is concrete and beneficial to the world.”